AC Making Your House Feel Stuffy And Uncomfortable? Vacuum Out Your Air Ducts

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If your home feels stuffy and uncomfortable, even with the air turned up high, you might not know what to think, especially if your cooling system is relatively new. The problem may actually lie in your home's air ducts. It's important to understand that no matter how new or old your air conditioning system is, it can still have problems cooling your home if the air ducts clog up. Here's what happens if your air ducts clog up and what you can do to unclog them.

How Can Dirty Air Ducts Affect Your Home and AC?

About 90 percent of the dust in your house comes from your skin and the fabrics you use in your house, such as curtains and bedding. Your skin sheds throughout the day and night, and fabrics can shed fibers and other materials over time. The dust produced by these things can enter your ventilation system's air ducts when you operate your cooling system. Eventually, thick layers of debris coat the inner surfaces of your ducts and block them.

A cooling system operates by removing or pulling warm air out of a house, which makes the environment cooler. If your AC can't remove warm air because of blocked air ducts, the house stays stuffy and uncomfortable. Your air conditioner may stay on longer or work harder to remove the heat inside your house. If the AC continues to push harder than normal, it may break down.

You can avoid the issues above by having your air ducts cleaned.

What Can You Do to Fix the Problem?

Cleaning your air ducts not only improves your home's air quality, it can also prevent damage in your air conditioning system. If you vacuum out the air vents connected to your air ducts, you may be able to solve both issues. 

Here's what you do:

  1. Turn off your cooling system, then obtain a ladder with a wide base. The ladder should also be long enough to reach the air vents in your ceiling.
  2. Remove the covers from all of your air vents, then wipe them down with damp rag. 
  3. Place the covers aside, then grab a vacuum with a long hose. The hose should be long enough to reach inside the vents/ducts without straining your arms or back.
  4. Select a vent to clean, then turn the vacuum to medium high.
  5. Insert the hose into the vent, then gently clean out the duct.
  6. Complete step four and five.
  7. Replace the vents' covers, then return power to your cooling system.

You want to give your cooling system time to reach the temperature set on your thermostat. If your home feels comfortable and cool, you completed the job.

If your indoor environment still feels uncomfortable, contact an air conditioner specialist to examine your air ducts and AC. For more information, contact companies like Cole Air Conditioning & Appliance Co.

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8 May 2017

Keeping up With Maintenance Between HVAC Inspections

Working with HVAC contractors is an important part of being a homeowner. Not only do your contractors ensure that a new system you buy is properly installed, but they also ensure optimal performance throughout the years through a series of regular inspections, maintenance services, and repairs. But there are lots of things you can do in between your contractor's visits to ensure that your HVAC investment is always in tip top condition, aside from cleaning out the air filters. After working with my dad for more than a decade in the HVAC business, I've put together a few methods homeowners can use to maintain a well working system, and I have published those tips and tricks right here on this blog. I hope some of the information you find here helps you on your journey as a homeowner!